The Concept of Satyagraha

The Satyagraha is a concept that Gandhi instituted and Philip Glass turned operatic. Translated into grabbing truth, it is a concept that helped Gandhi created a passive resistance. The thought is to not coerce but convert the wrong-doer away from his wrong doing.

Within the music of Glass' Satyagraha, the emotion of the passive resistance becomes apparent. It begins softly, as if one voice is attempting to speak for the many. It builds from there with intensity and tremble. The listener can feel the depression in the music and in the voices. By the second act, the music is stronger and more demanding without sacrificing the passiveness of the movement. Each piece of music feels comfortable, but with forward movement, so that the listener travels along with the peaceful protesters. Though there are times of ominous sounds, they seem to evoke only to the dismay of the oppression.

This piece of work reminds me of 'The Grapes of Wrath', and the emotion I felt when I saw the play. It brings to mind the bitter hope that the travelers had for a better life in the West. I still see the actors standing on the stage, looking west, wishing that life will be better once they get to the Western front. As an onlooker, I already know that difficult times will befall them; I want to scream to them, but I can't. I swallow back the sinking sensation I feel, knowing that hope will be lost for many. It seems that death is eminent. I want for them the truth and the peace that they desire, but there are consequences to be paid.

Gandhi hoped that his passive resistance would convey the message of equal rights and hope, and it did. However, there was a cost. Hundreds were beaten at one of the sit-ins; Gandhi himself was imprisoned twice. Yet, he never lost hope, as the travelers moving west did. The silent force of the passive resistance is evident in the use of the strings within the opera. They are at once both strong in sound and vulnerable. This force translates into the music beautifully, and doesn't discriminate. It seeks only the truth.

The use of the strings, the violins in particular, give the music a biting, nagging sense, which could represent the annoyance many within the government felt about Gandhi. The music gives as much of the story as possible, both the good and the bad. Yet, the music, albeit forceful, is never aggressive or angry. This is one of the rules Gandhi believed the Satyagraha must follow. To passively resist does not give the right to berate, belittle or lose decorum. The opera exemplifies that. Not once does it lose control of the score or does it move into a frantic scene. It doesn't need to; it is one with the movement. There is a disagreement of ideas, but there is not a negative force provoking it. There is only peace attempting to convert the masses to their own personal truth.

Gelb, Michael. Discover your Genuis. HarperCollins: New York, 2002.